Vermillion Forever
by xXMethereaperXx
Summary: AU/Like any other team, they suffered the similar... problems. Once they put aside their differences, they realized what they were a part of. What they didn't know was the dark and destructive power lurking beneath the quiet Martin Light. Relying on modern weapons instead of his power, he fears becoming unleashed. Attending Beacon Academy shows him the dark power within himself.\AU
1. (P) The Start Of Something Wonderful

Well, this idea hit me out of nowhere. I'd watched the series, but never intended to write anything about it. Suddenly, bits and pieces started coming together, and I figured I'd give it a shot.

There are a few things I want to explain before we begin.

I don't pretend to be an know-it-all of this series, and the wikia is the only thing helping me through this story, so I will try my best to keep all canon characters the way they are intended, but expect some OC. Velvet Scarlatina, however, will be OC as she is a secondary main character of this story.

This is going to be an all original using OC's, and some canon characters unless I get enough requests to make them more common.

To respect Monty's vision, I am keeping this almost entirely original so I don't ruin his story.

There will be fights, custom weapons, fights, drama filled plots, fights, romance, fights, comedy, and maybe some fights to even things out.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, feel free to follow along and read the prologue.

If not, click back and move on. No need to flame this amateur author.

Keeping with the standard of me using song names as story titles, and Monty using Jeff Williams for the music in RWBY, the theme for this story will be "Forever" by him, with the title being a Slipknot song and the Jeff Williams song.

I usually use relevant lyrics as introductions, and they're usually pretty well known but I do often use unheard of songs or bands. So, I will put links in my profile to where you can hear the song in case you haven't. While you're there, I posted an almost complete bio for Martin, and I'll be posting other characters as I finish them.

So, I'll quit stalling and begin the prologue.

* * *

**Vermillion Forever**  
**Prologue: The start of something wonderful**

"_I'm ashamed, not to blame  
Don't wanna think about it  
Who I am, what I've done  
How do I carry on?  
_

_Wanna change, turn the page  
Don't wanna think about it  
How do I undo what's done?"_

- Five Finger Death Punch

**[][][]**

He kept his head low, using the length of his hair to hide his face from the inhabitants of the room on the other side of the mirror.

Despite the single light in the room, it proved bright enough to keep the prisoner completely illuminated.

Struggling against the binds attached to his wrist resulted in a fierce electric shock that sent bolts of lighting to his limbs, effectively stopping him from attempting escape.

On the other side of the mirror, the man allowed a small smile to curl the edge of his mouth.

"Are you sure about this?"

Grabbing the file and coffee mug from the table, he started toward the door, "Not entirely, but it should be interesting."

**[][][]**

Looking up as the door opened, he spent a moment reading the face on the man who walked in. Not liking what he seen, he looked away.

"Hello, Mr. Light," he said as he dropped the file on the table, "How are you?"

Receiving no answer, he set his mug on the table and opened the folder, "Nothing to say? I was hoping we could have a civilized conversation."

"I'm fine," he eventually mumbled.

The man nodded and grabbed the key from the file, "You say that, but it seems untrue. You _are_ handcuffed in a chair, after all."

Walking away from the table, the man uses the key to unlock a small locker in the corner of the room.

"Let's start out by sorting your belongings and make sure nothing's come up missing, shall we?"

The man grabbed the holster and carried the pistol to in front of the table.

"Well, this is something. I never thought I'd get to see your father's pistol, let alone hold it."

The prisoner looked up to see the man looking down the sights.

"This is a magnificent weapon," he began, testing the weight of the trigger pull, "A multiple caliber Jekyll. You do have the other equipment it requires, correct?"

"Not on me."

He placed it on the table and walked back to the locker, glancing over his shoulder. The prisoner half-heartedly struggled in his restraints, enduring the shock until again giving up.

'_Those restraints are made to incapacitate, yet he is still conscious.'_

He picked up the guitar case and pair of brass knuckles while closing the door and walked back to the table, "A pair of brass knuckles. Brawlers, I think you call them, with exploding small caliber spikes.

"A Rackenbracker Empty-body. Early model six string. A great instrument," he paused as he looked over the blue, sun burst guitar, shaking his head when he seen the sword crudely duct-taped to the back, "but I assume you have other uses for it."

Now sitting in the chair across from the prisoner, he rested his elbows on the table and crossed his hands.

"I know a lot about you, Mr. Light. You're Martin, the son of Samuel "Shining" Light, and despite the comfortable home left to you, you've bounced around Remnant until finding yourself here in Vale."

He gave a small smile when he seen the effect this was having on the prisoner.

"What I don't know, is why you use weapons known to malfunction."

"My weapons don't malfunction," Martin snapped, falling into his trap.

"Compared to what," he returned, "Your powers?"

Realizing his mistake, he turned away.

"You suffer from the same problem your father did. The inability to control your self."

"We are not the same."

"You're right," he said while glancing through the file, "Your father gave his life and saved thousands of faunus, while you ignore your potential in exchange for ignorance. Living the life of a common thug."

"He was a coward who fell in love with his own legend," Martin yelled, straining against his restraints, "He threw his life away, leaving us to deal with what he started!"

"Coward? Perhaps you are the coward, afraid of realizing that sometimes you don't get a choice. The stone cold truth, Mr. Light, is your father died a hero, accepting the only choice he was given."

Martin fell quiet, suddenly interested in a stain on the floor.

"Why did you quit your classes at Signal?"

Looking at the transcript, he shook his head, "They weren't helping."

"I should say so. Signal is no place for someone like you."

Seeing the look he received, he shook his head, "Not like that, I meant there's nothing they could teach someone with your skills."

"That's what I thought."

"There aren't many places for a person of your skills. Beacon, however, may be up your alley."

"No, it isn't."

He sipped from his mug and leaned backward, "Beacon is an academy specializing in hunter and huntress training. If anything could teach you to use your powers, this is it."

"I'm not going to another school," Martin answered, using the inflection of his tone to show his sincerity.

He sighed while closing the file and sliding it away, "I must say, Mr. Light, I am disappointed you feel that way."

Giving the futile practice of escape another try, he ignored the man.

His eyes narrowed, the first sign he was losing his patience, "And what if you escape?"

Martin stopped, his eyes never leaving the pistol.

"I am going to be completely honest with you, you're treading on thin ice, my friend. I am your last chance at salvation. You are going away for a long time unless you play ball."

"Yeah? What's your proposition?"

The small smile returned, "A year at Beacon versus twenty in prison. Someone your age belongs in school, rather a cell. You attend Beacon as a student, learn how to defend yourself, control your powers, etcetera, and once the year is over, you go free with the option to continue your training."

"If I don't?"

"If you drop out early, or refuse, your life is in the hands of the High Court of Regents."

After a stretch of silence, he rose from his chair, "I'll leave you to think about it. I hope to see you walking off the transport ships tomorrow afternoon. You miss the orientation ceremony, I'll have your answer."

"I have some questions," Martin said before the man left the room.

"And I have answers," he said, turning back, "But there's only one way you'll get them."

Raising his mug, he nodded slightly, "Farewell, Mr. Light."

As the door closed, he sighed heavily.

"That looked like an interesting conversation, Professor Ozpin."

He nodded, "Indeed, it was. Ms. Goodwitch, make the arrangements for Mr. Light to begin attending Beacon Academy."

She blinked, the surprise showing on her face, "So, he agreed?"

"Not in so many words," he said, taking a large drink from his mug, "But I believe he'll make the right decision."

"Next on the list, is a Ruby Rose."

"Go ahead and start without me," he said, looking into his mug, "I think i'll need more coffee, and i believe they put some cookies out."

**[][][]**

Martin was looking up at the no smoking sign on the transport ship while he worked the striker on his lighter. With a final sigh, he returned the lighter and cigarette to the pack.

The countdown promised they'd be landing soon, so he dealt with the craving and leaned against the railing. He placed one hand on the guitar case and looked at the rings on his fingers. It had been a tense discussion, telling the Dahlias the deal, but they'd eventually agreed it was the best choice. So, they sent him off with Jule's rings.

He hoped he wouldn't need them, but it was a combat school he'd be attending.

"What a joke," he said out loud, knocking his head against the window.

"What is?"

He turned toward the voice and shook his head, "Nothing, I didn't think anyone was listening."

She nodded, "That's my skill, listening. At least that's what my parents said. I'm also very sneaky. Listening and stealth, that's me."

"And talking," he said, turning back to look out the window.

"You're not first person to say that."

"Really?" he asked sarcastically, not expecting an answer.

"Nope, everyone I knew back home would say, 'Amy, you talk like a rabbit runs,' which I never understood because every rabbit I've seen was slow. Oh, that's my name, by the way, Amy Thest."

Breaking through the clouds, Beacon Academy came into view as the ship banked away from it to begin docking at the platform.

"I will say," he began, talking to himself again, "It's quite a view."

"I know!" she yelled, her dark, pink hair swirling as she spun to look out of the window, "My old school was nothing like this, and the pictures don't do it justice!"

"That would be Sanctum, right?"

"Yes! How'd you know? Are your powers mind control, like a wizard?"

He shook his head and slung his backpack onto his shoulders, "Your accent."

"Oh, I thought I was talking to a wizard."

The doors opened and the students began rushing to the exit.

"Aren't you getting off?"

"Not yet," he said, gesturing in the direction of a student who was being pushed and shoved away from the doors.

"Oh, I see," she said with a nod, "Better to wait. Serves it right though, trying to be the first one off."

"It?"

"You know, the faunus."

In the quick glance, he hadn't noticed the large, rabbit ears coming out of her head. Now that the majority of people had left, she tried to wipe as much of the footprints she could from her clothes. Settling for what was left, she picked up her bags and quickly passed through the doors.

"What about her?" he asked as he picked up the guitar case and started to follow.

Amy quickly grabbed her own bags and hurried to catch up, "It's been in that corner by the doors since we left Vale. If there's one thing I can't tolerate, it's anti-social behavior, whether normal person or faunus. Though I didn't expect much more from it, they're strange and apt to being creepy."

Reaching the doors, Martin glanced to his left where the retching sounds were coming from and seen a boy in armor wiping his mouth. Upon seeing them, he laughed nervously and waved.

Martin reached into a pocket of his leather vest and slid on his sunglasses.

"Well, not wizard, I'm gonna hurry to the orientation and get a good seat. I'll see you around. Maybe we'll be on the same team together!"

"Fat chance," he said quietly.

"What was that?"

"Good chance," he said, loud enough to be heard this time.

"That's what I like about you, you're a glass half full kinda guy. Bye!"

In an instant she was gone, sprinting past everyone else walking the road to the school.

"So, uh, she was pretty cute, right?"

He glanced back and seen the boy in the armor following him, "You could say that."

"Say, is that a Black Dahlia vest? You should be careful, there's a street gang in Vale that wears them and they might not like the idea of a non-member wearing one."

"Thanks for the tip."

"Don't sweat it, name's Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc."

He shook the hand he was offered and nodded, "Martin Light."

"I read about a Martin Light in the paper, he was-" he trailed off, realizing he was a member of the gang, "So, uh, what's that saying on the back?"

Martin dropped his backpack so he could read all of the words stitched around the flower. While he read, he made another attempt to light a cigarette.

"Throw me to the wolves, and I will return leading the pack. That is some deep stuff, there."

Successfully lighting his cigarette, he picked up his pack and resumed walking, "That it is."

"So," Jaune began, "What do you think of Beacon, so far?"

"Haven't decided yet."

"I see. I guess you have to attend a few classes before you can decide."

Not receiving an answer, Jaune sighed, "Sorry, I tend to get talkative."

"It's alright. What brought you here?"

"Other than the transport ship?" he said, laughing a moment before clearing his throat, "You know, go to Beacon, become a hero, that sort of thing. Everyone in my family has combat training, so I figured this would be a good start."

They stopped and looked to where two other students were arguing.

"What do you think they're fighting about?"

Martin tapped the ashes from his cigarette and shook his head, "Don't try to understand women. Women understand women and they hate each other."

"I guess," he said, following Martin again.

This time, an explosion reached them, causing Jaune to stumble, "Something blew up!"

"Sounded that way."

"You think we should help them?"

"Yeah, probably," Martin answered, still walking away.

Jaune nodded, "I get it. See ya around."

Martin waved without looking back, "Go play hero, Jaune."

**[][][]**

"What did I tell you?" Ozpin said, watching as Martin walked down the path towards them.

"Alright, so he's here," Glynda began, glancing through the admittance form on her scroll, "I can honestly say, I didn't see that happening."

Martin walks past them, but stops, "I'm only here to get my freedom."

Ozpin didn't look back, "That's the deal."

"I could care less about controlling my powers, I've gotten this far without them."

"Every great journey starts with a single step, Mr. Light," Ozpin said, keeping his grin to a smile, "And you've made that first step."

Martin scoffed and continued walking.

"This is the start of something wonderful. Whether you acknowledge it or not."

**[][][]**

Martin walked into the auditorium and looked around.

The room was packed with people standing in neatly formed groups. Although there were many drifters amid them, everything was pretty much uniform.

"Hey, you! Over here! There's a space up here!"

He sighed and pretended not to hear the loud voice calling to him. Instead, he merged with a group near the back of the room but kept enough distance to avoid being pulled into the discussions.

In the group were two girls talking about the fundamentals of their weapons. One of them had silver hair while the other had red, and they appeared to be sisters from the way they talked.

"We are perfectly matched," silver hair began, "In both strengths and weaknesses."

Red hair nodded, "Her strengths are power and defense, while her weaknesses are speed and attack."

"Her strengths are speed and attack, while her weaknesses are power and defense," silver hair returned.

"We are the perfect team!" they finished in unison.

Martin shook his head and held back the urge to intervene, 'That won't help much when you're fighting alone.'

A glance shown another person standing near one of the entrance pillars. After a moment he recognized her as the faunus from before. She stood looking down at the floor, intent on remaining secluded.

Turning back, he noticed the headmaster take the stage, bringing the silence of the entire room.

"I'll," he began, pushing his glasses higher on his nose, "Keep this brief."

"You've traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and discover new skills."

He paused to assure he held everyone's attention.

"And when you are finished, you plan to devote your life to the protection of the people."

Martin chuckled, turning it into a cough when he received a confused look from the group in front of him.

Looking in the direction of Martin, he continued, "But when I look amongst you, I see nothing but wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction."

Martin held his gaze a moment, then looked away.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this. But your time at this school will show you, knowledge can only carry you so far."

Another pause before he continued, "It is up to you to take the first step."

Ozpin turned and walked off the stage, his promise of a brief introduction fulfilled. At this point, a woman with blonde, almost white, hair approached the microphone with her arms professionally behind her back.

"You will gather in the barn tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins."

The once quiet audience turned to hushed whispers and muffled voices.

"Due to the number of students attending this semester, we will divide the initiation into two groups. After your arrival in the barn, we will hold roll call and your group will be decided."

After seeing that everyone had a basic understanding of the instructions, she nodded, "You are, dismissed."

Martin sighed and turned to leave, noticing the faunus had achieved her goal of leaving before anyone else.

* * *

Alright, pretty good start.

I'll have the next one up as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Feel free to send me your input.


	2. (1) A Wolf Like Me (Part 1)

Alright, figured I'd make a short chapter for this before going back into the usual order.

I know how far I want this chapter to cover, but it's highly unlikely I'll get there. But, we won't know until we find out.

* * *

**Vermillion Forever**

**Chapter 1: A Wolf Like Me (Part 1)**

_Dream me, oh, dreamer_  
_Down to the floor_  
_Open my hands and let them_  
_Weave onto yours_

_Feel me, completer  
__Down to my core  
__Open my heart and let it  
__Bleed onto yours_

- TV On The Radio

**[][][]**

Stripped of his weapons, he found himself looking around the room more than he'd like to admit.

He subconsciously flipped his lighter open and closed, occasionally finding solace in the view of the setting sun through the window.

"… and you'd think this place would be easy to find, being a barn and all, but after I dropped everything in the locker, it took me a whole hour! This is really nice for a barn, can't say I approve of the colors, but they tried their best I suppose."

Not knowing how much more he could take, he turned away from the barrage of speech that was launched at him and slid on his headphones.

He was surprised by how fast he fell asleep, but not by the dream he had. It had been the same one he'd had since he found himself in Vale.

It was a normal job, at least that's what was promised. The security was just changing at the Atlas International Shipping Yard and it was well past midnight. The rules were the same, take everything except the containers labeled "Schnee Dust Company" which never left them much, but everything they took was their's, so they couldn't pass it up.

They approached the gate when-

'No,' he said, trying his best to avoid the nightmare he knew was about to come.

Instead, the dream shifted to a white rabbit hopping across a green and lush field, strewn with a multitude of differently colored plants.

The rabbit stops to sniff a yellow flower, without a care in the world.

However, he feels himself move and the vision begins to distort as the world starts changing. The quiet is overtaken by the howl of several creatures in the forest outlying the clearing. The rabbit turns and makes a dash for safety as a loud shriek over head causes it to stop in it's tracks, the shadow stretching over it. Looking up, everything cuts to black.

And then there's nothing.

**[][][]**

As she crossed the field, she assessed the damage to her robe. Their claws must have just grazed her or the robe would be the least of her problems.

Stopping by the tree line across from the barn, she removed her pointed hat while pulling her ears through the holes and set it aside. Unbuckling the catch on the robe, she slid it off carefully to avoid damaging it even further. She folded it neatly and set it inside the hollow trunk of the tree.

Finding her pole axe was undamaged, she gripped the bottom tightly and hit her wrist with her other hand. The bottom separated from the top and it began to disappear within itself. The intricate blue and black blade began to telescope and pivot, becoming the end of the pole. From there it collapsed until it was the size of her palm. Adding it to the stashed items, she prepared to sneak back into the building.

Having already checked for any movement, she was caught off guard when he stepped from behind the tree near the door.

"Anything useful?"

She slowly shook her head and quietly replied, "Just went for a walk."

Taking a drag from his cigarette, "I guess you don't know what's in the forest then…"

"Correct."

He crossed his arms and flicked away the ashes, moving to lean against the tree that had concealed him from her night vision. With nothing left to say, he looked away and returned to formulating his strategy for tomorrow.

After several moments, she returned her vision to the ground and walked inside.

**[][][]**

"If I keep the brawlers in this pocket," he said, standing at his locker while trying to organize his gear, "I'll have room for the cigarettes here."

Satisfied with the remaining space, he slid the rings onto his fingers and began reassembling the pistol. He inserted the firing pin into the guide and checked the stress cracks on the slide to make sure they hadn't spread, telling himself he'd get them fixed eventually.

Further away, the sisters were double checking a list of gear.

Wearing a thin, black under armor suit, she held the paper and read off the items on the list, "Weapon?"

The other nodded, combing her burgundy hair and visually keeping track, "Yep."

"First Aid kit?"

"Definitely."

"I'd say we're pretty well set," she said, dropping the paper into the locker while grabbing a dark green metal belt with the letters 'TROJAN-XIII' printed in gold lettering.

Carefully, she picked up the containers of Dust and connected them to the belt, assuring the colors matched.

"Okay, you know the motto, Ni," she said, tossing the brush into her bag and pulling out a stack of police riot gear.

"Aim low?"

She nodded, "That's the one."

Prepared, they closed their lockers and started toward the exit.

"So, we stick together from the start. If we get separated, fire into the air and I'll find you."

Ni nodded, "And if you run into trouble, hide somewhere."

"As if," she said, connecting the leather whip to her belt opposite the chain, "As long as I have Moab, nothing can stop me!"

"Rina," she said, using the tone of her voice to convey her seriousness.

"Fine! I'll hide if I don't think I can win."

Martin spun Jekyll on his finger and slid it into the holster under the left side of his vest. Digging into a pocket in his backpack, he pulled out a handful of large bullets and began inserting them into the loops on his belt. Once all the spaces were filled, he began filling his pockets with the smaller of the bullets.

The room began to fill with more students and their voices were filled with excitement, retelling the exploits of the initiation.

"Hey, Martin! You missed a great show!" Jaune yelled as he neared.

"How was it?" Martin asked, adding fuel to his lighter.

Jaune pointed at himself and took a deep breath, "Well, you'll never guess who saved everyone from certain doom."

"Who?"

"There were Grimm all around us and they were closing in. Everyone was all, 'Jaune! Don't let the monsters eat me!' So, I drew my sword and-"

"Jaune," a girl said as she approached, "Did you hurt your leg when we were running from the Deathstalker?"

He sighed and shook his head, "Aw, Pyrrha, why'd you say that?"

"Oh, uh, I meant…"

"Say, you'd better get a move on," he said, "You're gonna be late."

Martin pulled his guitar from the case.

"You're bringing that with?"

He nodded and unrolled the strap.

"We should get going too," Pyrrha said, following the rest of the students.

"Oh, right. Good luck! Stay out of any caves you find!"

Martin rolled his eyes and slung the guitar over his back and made sure he'd be able to reach the sword. Closing his locker, he turned to walk away, but heard something move inside. The door was closed tight and didn't move when he pushed on it. Opening it shown the reason for the noise.

"Ta-Da!" she said, crouched inside the locker, "Didn't see me sneak in, did ya? It's the jumpsuit, the green and blue help with-"

He closed the door and took a few steps before stopping.

Several moments pass before a muffled voice says, "I can't get out…"

Martin sighs and turns to open it again.

**[][][]**

The cliffs were higher than he expected, and the view showed him the full expanse of the forest, minus a large section that was still smoldering.

By the number of people he seen, he was hoping it wouldn't be a death match. He'd given the most threatening of them a look over and didn't like his chances.

One student had to of been near six feet tall and was wearing yellow armor. His attitude shown him to be a typical ego-slave, and he seemed older than many of the others.

Next were the sisters, one wore a thin, black one piece suit and wore a thick, metal belt. The other wore a police style set of riot gear with a pistol holstered on her right side and a strange box on her left arm. He wasn't sure of how they'd be in a fight, but decided it'd be best to watch out for them.

Next was the talkative one. Her blue and green jumpsuit was finished of with a gas mask held in her hand. No sign of a weapon, but he assumed she'd talk her enemies to death.

He couldn't help laughing at that one.

Last was the faunus. She stood on her platform, wearing a long, black robe and pointed hat with her ears pulled through holes on the sides. Other than looking like a character in a children's horror movie, she also hadn't made her weapon known.

The rest didn't pose a threat, one literally shaking at the knees.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Ozpin said as he walked to his spot near the edge.

He looked at the students and drunk from his mug, "While we wait to start, I'll explain the task to those of you who are unaware."

The student in the yellow armor whispered something quiet enough to not be heard.

"This trial will decide who you spend your time at Beacon with, so take it seriously. After you land, the first person you make eye contact with will be your teammate, and from there you will progress to the forest temple and take a relic. Then you return to the top of the cliff and it's over. If you survive, you pass the test."

"It doesn't sound so bad," a voice said closer to the end.

Ozpin chuckled, "Sterling will tell you what's waiting in the forest."

He shook his head and slammed on his armor, "It's a piece of cake, don't let him fool you."

Appearing beside him, Glynda nodded, "The pieces have been reset."

"Okay, the test will begin," he said moments before the first platform launched, "And Mr. Light, we've already had one fire today and the Ursi aren't too thrilled about it."

Martin sighed and slid the cigarette behind his ear and crossed his arms.

The sisters were launched and their flight patterns shown they were trying to land close together.

"Oh! Wizard person, over here! Meet me by that tree! The one I'm pointing at!" Amy yelled before being sent off.

Sterling drew his sword, a large, interwoven twin blade with barrels on the end and cracked his neck, "Cry havoc and let slip the hogs of war."

"It's dogs of war," Martin said with a sigh.

"Whatever farm animal of war!" he returned as he was launched.

Velvet laughed to herself and jumped in the air, landing on the platform in a crouch, using the force of the launch to send her flying.

"The first group encountered a Deathstalker as well as a rather large Nevermore. I'm expecting good things Mr. Light," Ozpin said.

Martin scoffed and shook his head, "Whatever you say, Pinhead."

* * *

I'm gonna cut it short there and finish it next time. I'd planned on it being the entire initiation, but that'll be stretching it a little far.

Also, i added a few more bios to my profile, in case you wanna know the characters before the next chapter, but it will spoil some of it.

Thanks for reading, I'll have another one soon.


	3. (2) A Wolf Like Me (Part 2)

Alright, next part.

Hope you had a good holiday, sorry I didn't get to say so before it.

I'll be rewriting the description for the story, so if it changes the plot is still the same. It's a weakness of mine, and I think it could be better.

Also, I've been going through the previous chapters and fixing a few mistakes. Nothing worth going back to re-read though.

Anyway, let's get to it.

* * *

**Vermillion Forever**

**Chapter 2: A Wolf Like Me (Part 2)**

"_Got a curse we cannot lift  
Shines when the sunshine shifts  
There's a curse comes with a kiss  
The bite that binds the gift that gives_

_Now that we got gone for good_  
_Writhing under your riding hood_  
_Tell your gra'ma and your mama too_  
_It's true_  
_We're howling forever"_

- TV On The Radio

**[][][]**

A bird glides over the forest, riding the wind current while scanning the ground below. Sensing the imminent collision, it dives away from the yellow armored student approaching and narrowly survives. Glancing to it's sides, the bird begins flapping it's wings to gain altitude as a flurry of gunshots turns it into a mass of falling feathers.

"Aha, got it!" he exclaimed while he tossed the empty shells from the sword and shoved in the new ones.

Snapping the handle closed, he spun the sword rapidly over his head, using the size of the blade to slow himself down enough to glide toward the biggest tree he could find.

At the last second, he stabbed the sword into the trunk causing it to begin to separate the tree as he continued downward. Mentally gauging the remaining distance, he kicked below the blade to send him over it while he fired, using the recoil to send him into the nearby clearing.

Climbing to his feet, he cracked his neck as the sound of the tree crashing behind him echoed.

Glancing upwards, he catches a flash of another student flying through the air. He nods and runs in their direction.

**[][][]**

"I forgot what tree I was supposed to meet at," she said to herself, tightening the straps of the mask as she fell from the air.

"Guess I'll have to check them all."

Closing her eyes, she focused her aura closer to her body, giving her the ability to pass through the trees as if they weren't there. Now gliding horizontally, she concentrated on keeping her aura synched around her feet, slowly adding her energy to it.

"Almost," she said aloud, the ground growing closer and closer.

"Now!"

She moved into a running stance and began weaving between the trees as she skated over the forest floor.

"Judging by the wind direction, direction of launch, and a bunch of scientific things," she began, sliding to a stop near an area of burnt trees, "I'd say he landed over here."

A rustle in a nearby gathering of foliage brings her to the edge of the clearing.

"Hey! Mr. Wizard! Is that you? It's me, Amy-" she trails off when the large form of a mother Ursa emerges and glares at it's new target.

"So," she said with a nervous laugh, "You haven't eaten anyone around here, have you?"

The Ursa roars loudly, calling to the rest of the pack for help.

With a sigh, she closes her eyes and channels her aura away from her feet to her hands, causing long bladed bayonets to materialize.

Seeing the group begin to appear behind their mother, her face twitches and a grin appears behind the mask.

"Well then," a darker voice said as she slid the blades over each other, causing sparks to rain onto the ground below, "We'll just have to check, won't we?"

[][][]

"Ni! Clear us a landing zone!"

Nodding, she pushed on the middle of the belt causing it to activate.

"_Trojan-XIII battle armor activated," _a female voice said, _"Welcome, Nishita Ibara."_

"Hey, Shelly. Can we skip the intro this time?" she replied.

"_Skipping welcome protocol. Please prepare for Trojan-XIII expansion."_

Holding her arms out, she struggled to remain stable while the belt began to spread and transform around her, every piece that appeared causing her speed to increase.

Once the armor was completely formed, she flipped the red facemask closed and began to pick targets on the interface.

"_Would you like me to initiate auto fire sequence?"_

"No, Shelly, I can handle this."

"_Activating auto fire sequence in five seconds."_

"No! Disable!" she yelled, slamming on the manual override control.

"_Auto fire, activated. Acquiring targets."_

"Rina, hang back, Shelly's on the fritz again!"

"Again?!" she yelled, removing the device from her left arm.

It began to expand once it was removed and changed into a thick, clear riot shield with 'Vale Police' printed in block letters.

Grabbing the handles, she forced it over her head to decrease her speed. Once she stabilized, she flipped it over and knelt onto it while she turned the handles to open a compartment behind them. A box flew out and she scrambled to grab it while forcing the handles back into their original position.

Sighing out of relief, she slid her feet into the handles and guided the shield in circles to maintain her altitude.

"Hey, do you need any help?"

"I got it," she answered into the headset, causing her voice to be amplified.

"_Targets acquired, beginning assault."_

Colliding with the ground hard enough to create a crater, the armor was up in a moment and began firing in all directions.

The red charges consisted of amplified dust that burned everything they touched.

"No, we can't set anything on fire!"

The area had already begun to ignite, the flames slowly spreading to the areas outside of the landing zone.

"_Multiple fires detected in nearby vicinity," _the voice said, _"Switching to main dust receptacle two."_

The cannons on the arms ceased firing and switched to streams of water, directing toward the burning trees and shrubs.

"Shelly! I command you to disengage!"

The streams began to slow before quitting completely, _"Main dust receptacles one and two nearly depleted. Trojan-XIII AI entering manual mode."_

"I'm gonna turn you into scrap metal," she said before calling out to her sister, "Rina, you can land now!"

"Roger!" she yelled back, aware she was most likely unheard.

Taking a deep breath, she leaned back on the shield and dived toward the ground. Upon reaching a height she was comfortable with, she slid out of the shield's handles and opened the box, causing the pistol to fall into her hand.

Landing in a roll, she knelt and spun around, checking for enemies.

"I think we're clear," Nishita said.

Stabbing her arm into the air, Rina caught the shield as it fell and slid her arm into the handles. Grabbing the box from the ground, she returned it to the compartment and joined her sister in the center of the burnt clearing.

"So, which way do we go?"

"We should head east," Nishita answered over the hum of the armor's servos as she ran between the trees, "The temple should be in that direction."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" she lied, "It's right here on the screen!"

**[][][]**

Martin flipped the page of the small notebook as he tumbled through the air.

"A5? No," he said as he turned the page again.

Sighing out of frustration, he returned the book to his pocket and slid his guitar in front of him.

"Okay. Muscle memory. Just have to work out the kinks, it's only been," he began, trying to remember the chord placement, "A couple years…"

He made the mistake of looking down, "Oh boy, is the ground coming up fast. Ok, first off, setting the limit to two."

He turned the volume knob slightly and glanced down again, "Better make it five. Alright, let's see. How do we land?"

Closer, and closer the ground came.

"Screw it!" he yelled, slamming on the top three strings with his left hand while he fretted the last two of the upper strings.

Moments before impact, the strummed chord sent a shockwave between him and the ground, resulting in a rapid deceleration while also disintegrating a large chunk of the dirt below him.

His vision began to topple and drain of color while he struggled to roll over onto his back. The sky appeared as a shaking mass of grey matter as he fumbled in his pocket, eventually pulling out the pack of cigarettes. Unable to raise the pack high enough, it dropped to the ground out of his reach.

He sighed and began to feel his eyelids become heavier.

"Are you alright?!" he heard a distorted voice ask from what seemed far away, "I'll go find some help!"

As his eyes closed, they reopened to a place much different from the forest he was previously in.

The large room was made of white, smooth stone bricks and was large enough to hold the seventeen people sitting on raised platforms looking down on the area he had slowly begun to rise from.

Among the closest to him was a man in dark robes with graying hair and a stern face and a young blue haired woman who wore the crest of the Menagerie Royal Army on her armor, as well as the dent in the left breast plate he'd left.

"What're you-" she yelled while moving to approach him, stopping only at the command of the man.

"Huntress, who is this?"

She nervously bit her lip and shook her head, "I don't know, your honor."

He shifted his gaze from her to the angry Martin, "Forgive me, but I don't think that's so."

She sighed and nodded, "This is Sir Martin Light."

The room erupted into quiet murmurs while the gray haired man rose from the desk and approached him.

"So," he said, his voice echoing in the room, "This is Samuel's son."

He stopped short of him and laughed, "Two years we spent looking for you, and here you are. Well, your spirit, that is."

A glance downward shown what he meant, instead of being solid, he was in fact see through. Despite this, he remained focused on the woman.

"Well, huntress, here is your target. Trace his essence and depart."

She took a step forward, "But sir-"

He turned and glared at her, the look strong enough to make her step backward, "We hired you to find him because we were told the Menagerie Royal Army has their own interests in capturing him. Do your job and find out where he is!"

She nodded and walked to where he stood, "Yes, sir."

"What's going on?"

She shook her head and raised her arm, "I'm really sorry about this."

With a quick stab forward, she thrust her hand into his chest. The pain was enough to make his vision shake and he nearly lost what consciousness he had left.

"He's in the emerald forest outside of Beacon Academy."

"Good. Gather what you need and leave immediately."

She nodded as the image began to fade, the words echoing, "Understood."

**[][][]**

When she returned to the clearing, he was on his feet and knocking the dirt from his clothes. He seemed fine, a good thing since no one she found was willing to help a faunus.

Upon seeing her, he held her eye contact before reaching into his vest and sliding on his sunglasses. Picking up his guitar from the ground, he started walking to her left.

"Wrong way," she called out.

He returned to the clearing and started in the opposite direction, "This was my second choice."

With a sigh, she shook her head and followed after him, sliding on a pair of white gloves while she walked.

In the darkness of the trees it was hard to see, but the bright flashes in front of him shown where he was heading.

"Damn it," he mumbled, stopping to focus on the lighter.

He continued thumbing the striker with no luck in igniting it.

Snapping her fingers, she aimed at the cigarette, causing a flame to form on the end and burning it enough to stay lit.

He exhaled the smoke and nodded, "Appreciate it."

Not answering, she waited for him to start walking.

"So," he started, ducking beneath the limbs of a tree, "You know how to get to the temple?"

Again, no answer.

He glanced over his shoulder before sighing, "Usually women get to know me before they ignore me."

Reaching out to pass through a dense thicket of brush, a hand on the back of his shirt stops him from continuing.

He blinks and looks down the steep drop of the hidden incline, realizing how close he was to walking off.

"So, you were out here last night."

Rolling her eyes, she let go and watched as he flailed his arms to prevent toppling over the edge.

Once stabilized, he knelt near the edge and looked downward, the broken twigs and claw marks amongst the ground becoming easier to see.

"Something happened," he said tracing the marks as they zigzagged toward the forest below, "Let's have a look."

As he slid down the drop, she glanced to the claw marks in her robe and jumped over the edge.

**[][][]**

"What the hell is that?!" Rina yelled as they sprinted to stay ahead of he loud, almost terrifying roars and shouts.

Nishita turned and scanned the darkness behind them but received no vital signs.

"I can't pick up any signatures, Ursi or otherwise!"

"What do we do?! It's getting closer!"

She slid to a stop and ripped one of the nearly empty dust receptacles from her belt and focused on her audio tracker.

"_Main Dust Receptacle one has been removed."_

"I know, Shelly!" she yelled as she hurled it in he direction of the sound.

Upon impact, the canister exploded, illuminating the outline of a large creature approaching them while shaking the ground enough to cause them to lose balance.

"This is it, now or never!" Rina yelled as she swung the shield in front of her.

The Ursa broke through the darkness and stumbled it's way forward. Before reaching them, it collapses to it's knees and roars as it falls the rest of the way, revealing the form of Amy standing on her defeated prey.

"No, not the wizard," she says as she glances toward the dumbfounded sisters.

They glance at each other as she runs past them.

"What was that about?"

Rina shook her head, "We need to hurry up, this place is starting to weird me out."

**[][][]**

The first shockwave caused the creature to stir, being too weak to fully awaken it from it's slumber.

The second one was considerably larger, and caused it's eyes to snap open.

Fury fueling it's angry roars, it rose to it's feet, it's strong legs easily hefting it's massive form into the air. It's joints cracking from decades of immobility, it strained against the confines of the stone and dirt surrounding it before crashing it's way through the walls. The sunlight gleams off it's golden scales while it stretches it's wings in preparation for the flight.

Once ready, the dragon bounds into the air, the force of its launch quaking the earth beneath it.

**[][][]**

Martin was halfway through the clearing when he stopped, causing her to bump into him.

Stepping around him shown her the dark fur of the Beowolves, emerging from the surrounding area.

Once they formed their ranks, a total of twelve stood before them, growling and glaring behind their glowing, red eyes.

Velvet frantically began to snap her fingers, attempting to materialize a flame but found her will power was drained too low.

Martin's eyes darted back and forth behind his sunglasses as he tried to weigh their odds.

"Walk very carefully, and stay calm."

Her jaw dropped and she shook her head, "You're insane."

"Something happened to their leader. Their whole pack dynamic has shifted, their in the middle of a feud," he said quietly, "Without a leader, they won't attack."

"Maybe that's what they want us to think."

Shifting the weight of the guitar on his back, he started walking. Facing forward, he maintained the same stride but remained alert for any aggressive movement. Despite a few growls, they began to separate and turn to watch him as he reached the edge.

Glancing back, he nodded in the direction he was facing.

She sighed and gripped the derringer holstered on the inside of her robe while she matched his pace and started toward him.

Halfway through, however, one of them recognized the robe from the night before and broke into a lunge at her.

Martin moved between the two and drew his pistol. As he aimed, the Beowolf locked it's jaws around his wrist, keeping him from shooting.

Adding pressure to the bite caused a twinge in Martin's arm, giving enough of a jolt to pull the trigger. The rest of the pack that had moved to attack jumped back when the bullets screamed past them.

"I could use a little help!"

Velvet was unable to move, the memory of the night before still fresh in her head causing her to step backward out of fear.

"Hey!" he yelled, sensing what she was going to do.

In an instant, she bolted into the brush and ran as if they were chasing her.

Martin looked back to Beowolf that was currently gnawing it's way up his arm and slid his hand into his left pocket.

He gripped the Brawler and reeled backward. Seeing the spikes were primed, he yelled and began hitting the head and upper neck are of his attacker, every strike causing a spike to become lodged in it's fur.

Martin held up his fist and pushed the button on the end of the empty weapon, causing the spikes to explode and send the defeated enemy flying.

He struggled to remain standing, pain in his arm enough to cause a few unflattering words to leave his mouth.

After taking a deep breath, he faced the pack who looked confused at the sight they witnessed.

"Who's next?!" he yelled, panting and wavering, "Come on, I'm not finished!"

The ground began to quake suddenly, bringing the sound of trees collapsing and the growls of Ursi with it.

"Well," he said quietly before he turned and sprinted in the direction Velvet had left.

The Beowolves looked amongst each other as if deciding what to do. The ear splitting roar reaching them, they turned and followed after him.

* * *

Alright, rushed but I accomplished what I wanted to.

Several of the teams members have been further introduced, as well as the events that will take place in the future.

So, thanks for reading, I will have FOAY updated in the next couple days.


End file.
